The shooting immediately revived Senate efforts to pass new gun legislation — which failed to get the votes to overcome a GOP filibuster.

While the measures are no more likely to pass now, Obama renewed call for background check Tuesday during a Spanish-language TV interview.

“We don’t have the votes,” declared Majority Leader Sen. Harry Reid. “We want to stop people who have mental illness from buying a gun. We want to stop people who are felons from being able to purchase a gun.”

Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), who co-authored failed legislation to strengthen background checks, hinted he might seek support from lawmakers who are about to retire and less worried about the political consequences of going up against gun advocates.

The group Mayors Against Illegal Guns, backed by Mayor Bloomberg, plans a rally in D.C. on Thursday to push for tighter background checks on gun purchases.

The issue was a loser for Democrats after the shooting at Sandy Hook elementary, so it’s unclear how much effort Obama will extend on guns when he’s got other issues such as Syria and the budget to worry about.

One possibility is revising the bill to focus on mental illness and mass violence, though Manchin said it would be wrong to enact legislation that leaves a “hole,” a reference to the background checks for purchases at gun shows and online that he’s been pushing.

Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) has already said Congress must “stop shirking its responsibility and resume a thoughtful debate on gun violence.”